Bharti to invest $100m in Rwanda
With this licence, Rwanda is the 17th country in the African continent to receive Airtel services.
According to reports, Sunil Mittal, chairman and MD of Bharti Airtel, says the telco will work with the government to bring affordable mobile services that contribute towards bridging the digital divide in the country.
Computer World says Bharti acquired Airtel in 2010 from the Zain Group for $10.7 billion, and was recently awarded a $30 million licence in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on the sidelines of a Broadband Commission for Development conference.
The licence Airtel has taken over was, until April this year, property of Rwandatel, which was controlled by LAPGreen Networks, a telecoms investment vehicle for the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio.
AllAfrica.com reveals that Ignace Gatare, minister in the Rwanda President's Office in charge of ICT, hails Bharti's move, saying it would lead to “an exciting era in telecommunications in Rwanda”.
Gatare says: “This entails bringing advanced broadband wireless services at more competitive prices, allowing more people in rural areas to access mobile technology.”
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